By Onwa Ekor
Cross River governor, Prince Bassey Otu, Saturday in Calabar, inaugurated the All Progressives Congress (APC) Campaign Council for the 2027 general elections, hinging his re-election bid on debt reduction, asset recovery and reforms under his People First Agenda.
Otu said his administration met a state grappling with insecurity, demoralised workforce and abandoned assets.
“We did not promise all things in one year, but we covenanted to stop the bleeding, clear the ground, recover the losses and restore abandonments,” he said.
He disclosed that his government cut the inherited domestic debt of over N204 billion by more than N70 billion without fresh borrowing, leaving about N132.3 billion as of March 2026.
Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), he said, rose from N21.1 billion in 2022 to N46.3 billion in 2024.
“Every debt retired is freedom for our children,” Otu said.
The governor listed the reclamation of Tinapa from AMCON, recovery of nearly N1 billion from Etung Cocoa Estates, efforts to reclaim oil wells and interests in Bakassi and the Deep Seaport, improved security, lifting of employment embargo, restoration of over 3,000 local government workers to payroll and payment of gratuities after 20 years as key wins.
On infrastructure, he cited reconstruction of the Obudu Cargo Airport runway, revival of the Teachers Continuous Training Institute, Biase, transformation of Akamkpa College to University of Entrepreneurship, concessioning of the Garment Factory and Obudu Ranch, road projects, expanded Cally Air operations and rebound of Carnival Calabar.
Otu also cited over 200km fibre rollout in Calabar, ICT training for 600 residents and Cross River’s selection by the World Bank GovTech Team for the 2026 AI in Governance Bootcamp in Seoul.
For a second term, he promised to convert recovered assets to productive enterprises, complete major projects, expand youth and agric programmes, establish industrial parks in the three senatorial districts and improve workers’ welfare.
He charged the council to take the message to 18 LGAs and 196 wards.
“You do not change a farmer who has cleared the farm just when it is time to plant. You do not abandon a builder who has laid the foundation when it is time to raise the roof,” Otu said.
